J-Term in Italy
Spring 2022 J-Term Florence

About the Program

Spend your January-term exploring the richness, beauty, taste and complexities of Italian culture through one of the courses available from a range of disciplines. You will have the opportunity to engage with locals while learning inside and outside the classroom. Your course will include tours of galleries and museums, guided wine and cheese tastings, visits to local businesses, historic tours, and other academic and social activities that bring lessons learned in class to life. The CEA Florence Center’s central location in one of the city’s major piazzas promotes community interaction—a key component of the curriculum. Study within a dynamic environment where active and collaborative learning drive the curriculum.

Program Structure

Choose to enroll in 1 CEA elective course; course meets for 45 contact hours/3 credits.

Class meets Monday-Friday, a total of 9 class meetings for 4¼ hours each. Active learning components required by your course will take place during class time. 

Prior to departure, you will select your preferred course. You will be enrolled into the course based on its availability. As a result, it is in your best interest to have alternative courses approved by your home university prior to your departure. Please consult with your academic advisor at your home university on credit pre-approval guidelines.

Please note, due to the length and intensity of the program, excursions are not included.

Excursions

Get out and explore! Excursions are offered for most semester, year, and summer programs*. Semester students are typically offered between two to three excursions and summer study students are typically offered between one to two excursions. You'll receive a calendar of excursions during orientation; here are a few day and overnight excursions we've offered in the past.

Pisa & Lucca

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Everyone knows of Pisa for its famous leaning tower.  But do you know why that tower was built?  It’s the belltower of this medieval port town’s breathtaking cathedral complex, and there’s so much to learn about it and the buildings that accompany it.  After a visit to Pisa, we’ll move on to Lucca: a beautiful and peaceful Tuscan town that dares you to slow down for the day.

Ravenna

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Originally a port town, Ravenna was a crossroads of western and eastern peoples and art for nearly 300 years as an important political center of the late Roman Empire. Public and private structures built during this time were decorated with mosaics that will make you catch your breath. This off-the-beaten-path visit will include a guided tour of these gorgeous monuments and a delicious local lunch.

Bologna

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Bologna is best known for its medieval towers, porticoed streets, and hearty cuisine. It’s also home to Europe’s oldest university, founded in 1088. We will tour the university’s main historical building and its Anatomical Theater, where autopsies were once performed to train early doctors. We will treat you to a group lunch before you have time to explore Bologna on your own.

Siena

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One of Italy’s most picturesque and international medieval cities, Siena is home to well-preserved Gothic architecture and is the birthplace of one of Italy’s patron saints. Siena may be best known for its annual summer horse races, whose origins go back to the 1300s (Think the horseracing scene in James Bond’s Quantum of Solace.)